and because it's called raising the debt ceiling, i think a lot of americans think it's raising our debt. it is not raising our debt. it does not add a dime to our debt. it simply says you pay for what congress has already authorized america to purchase. whether that's the greatest military in the world or veterans' benefits or social security. whatever it is that congress has already authorized, what this does is make sure that we can pay those bills. now, the last time that the tea party republicans flirted with the idea of default two years ago markets plunged, business and consumer confidence plunged, america's credit rating was downgraded for the first time, and a decision to actuall through with it, to actually permit default according to many ceos and the congress would be, and i'm quoting here, insane, catastrophic, chaos. these are some of the more polite words. warren buffett likened default to a nuclear bomb, a weapon too horrible to use. it would disrupt markets. it would undermine the world's confidence in america as the bedrock of the global economy. and it might permanentl